Indigenous leaders press for recognition of ancestral domain claims on Mt. Apo

Indigenous leaders and tribal elders from the Davao Region have asked government agencies to strengthen protection of ancestral domains and formally recognise sacred sites on Mt. Apo, according to Mindanao Times.

The appeal was made at the Mt. Apo Indigenous Peoples Conference held on Oct. 28 at the Malagos Garden Resort in Malagos, Davao City. Leaders from the Bagobo Klata, Bagobo Tagabawa and Obu-Manuvu communities attended alongside government agencies, local government units and conservation partners. Speakers stressed that the mountain is not only the country's highest peak but also an ancestral domain tied to indigenous history and spirituality.

Apo Ernesto Sicao of the Sicao Village Community said his group has spent 10 years preparing a village plan for a 1,818-hectare ancestral claim. He cited an old village site, an old burial ground and historical accounts showing the area was already a barangay in 1959. He asked the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to clarify whether various activities in the area could affect the tribe's rights, and questioned why his community is being labelled "illegal" when its members have long lived on and cared for the land. He also called for protection against encroachment, citing a lack of enforcement.

Datu Lipatuan Joel Unad Sr. of the Obu Manuvu said much of the tribe's traditional land on the mountain faces commercial and environmental disruption. He said the declaration of Mt. Apo as a national park and the entry of energy projects, including geothermal, happened without the tribe's meaningful participation. "I hope matulungan ninyo ang mga tribu within Mt. Apo," he said, warning that the tribe's heritage could be lost without help.

Clint Michael Cleofe, protected area superintendent of the Mt. Apo Natural Park (MANP), said 96 percent of the park's 64,000 hectares lies within ancestral domain, with 40,000 hectares covered by a Unified Tagabawa ancestral domain. He presented a socio-cultural mapping that documented Bagobo Tagabawa beliefs linking the mountain's seven peaks to seven spirit deities. According to the presentation, visitors were largely unaware of the sacred peaks before the mapping and left trash behind, but conservation measures now include cultural sensitivities and proper decorum at the summit.

Cleofe said indigenous participation strengthens the park's bid to become the country's second UNESCO Global Geopark. International validators conducted a five-day site visit in August, and a final decision is expected by 2027.

The two-day conference, organised by the LBF-Sicao Project with support from LifeBank Foundation, aims to produce a Mt. Apo Declaration of stakeholder commitments and a draft five-year action plan covering governance, land management, disaster resilience, biodiversity conservation and ecotourism.